Driving in Italy

It all depends. A good GPS will eliminate much of the signage problems. Driving in Italy is fine. Not much different than anywhere else. Off the main roads I find that the signage is small and limited. Public parking in most of the small cities is a problem. Sometimes easy to find and sometimes not. Hit a market day or some other celebration and it is impossible. In the cities not linked well with public transit, then a car is essential and a lot of Tuscany falls into that situation. And for visiting many wineries the car is critical.

We have made 16 trips to Italy and have driven, at least part of the time, on each one. The difficulties, in my opinion, are greatly exaggerated. You, of course, know, you can't drive in Venice, don't you? Rome would be a nightmare. A practical plan would be to fly into Rome, and get your car when you are ready to leave. Or, ditto for Venice. Fly home from the other one.
Having a car for touring Tuscany is a great convenience. The road signage is different from that in the U.S. Roads have numbers, but those are rarely listed on the signs. You'll see town names, so it's important to know the next one on your path, as well as the ultimate destination of the road. For example, you may see a sign that lists some small towns and Siena. If your destination isn't listed, it doesn't mean you've taken a wrong turn. The next set of signs, or ones further on, may include the town you're aiming for. A gps and a good map are invaluable. We, also, often print out the viamichelin.com directions.
You didn't ask, but I'll throw in my opinion that your agenda is too crowded. You should plan a minimum of 3 nights for Venice (equals 2 days) and 4 for Rome. 4 nights - - 5 would be better - - based in Sorrento would give you a day for Pompeii and time for the Amalfi Coast.
Tuscany is huge and extremely varied. Among its stellar attractions are art, wine and food, archaeological sites, medieval towns, and thermal springs. The towns worth your time are too numerous to mention; but a few we especially liked are Volterra, Lucca, Arezzo, and Montepulciano. I also love the southern end of the province.

You'll notice I've omitted the Cinque Terre. I'm not a fan. I think the Amalfi Coast is more beautiful and more interesting. I don't think you have time for 2 coastal stops.

I guess how chaotic and stressful Italian public transport is depends on personal taste. We actually enjoy the freedom of going car-less but I also understand that a vehicle is a plus for Tuscany. Just be aware of where you are and are not allowed to drive/park as a visitor, and Italian rules of the road. Violations (speeding, ZTLs, straying into bus lanes, etc,) are largely recorded on camera versus stops by authorities so tickets can arrive in the mailbox months after the trip is over.

The usual advice for the Cinque Terre is to park the car in La Spezia and take the train in: parking is extremely limited, and the towns themselves are largely pedestrianized. We also wouldn't want to mess around with a car in Amalfi (definitely not in Naples) but again, that's a personal preference.

Based on your intended destinations I would do:
Fly to Venice (Airport code: VCE)
Venice (3 nights) - no car of course
Rent a car in Venice on your way out - Drive to Tuscany out in the country side from where you will be visiting small towns, villages, vineyards, etc. (number of nights up to you).
Drive to Cinque Terre. I recommend to stay in Monterosso or Levanto, both of which have parking where you can put your car while there (you won't need a car at the Cinque Terre). Two nights here are sufficient in my opinion.
Drive down past Rome all the way to the Amalfi Coast. Visit the area (I'd say 3 or 4 nights minimum).
Be aware that parking may be scarce and expensive during the summer months at the Amalfi coast.
Drive back up to Rome, return the car upon arrival.
Stay in Rome at least 3 nights.
Fly home from Rome (airport code: FCO)

Driving in Italy is not difficult. A GPS and a map is useful to have.
Signage is good and signs generally point to town names, not to road numbers or N/S/W/E. Actually the cardinal directions are rarely used by Italians. For example when you enter the freeway in Florence, rather than North or South, you will see sign directing you to Bologna (the next big city north) or Roma (the next big city south). A map is therefore good to have to plot your itinerary and have an overall picture of your trip.
Parking is more of a problem in big cities than in small towns. There are parking lots all around those small ancient towns (generally cars aren't allowed inside the ancient city walls into the historical center of town). Just follow the signs to Parking

Other posters have given you good advice. I would just add that driving in Italy is not difficult, but roads are narrower, signs come up on you faster, and many Italians seem to drive the way cabbies do in the United States. They drive fast, are comfortable passing and weaving in and out of city traffic, and they tend to tailgate. They don't seem to be mean or angry about it - it's just the way they drive. I would advise you to take both GPS and paper maps, spend some time plotting your routes each day, do some research on parking locations - the Rick Steves guides are great on this topic - go at your own speed, relax and assume you'll miss a turn now and again.

In comparison to driving in other countries, yes, Italy can be more of a challenge. Make sure you get as small of a car as possible. A full size car can be challenging on the narrow, small town roads. I would like to address a few things to consider when driving in Italy.

Autostrada: Being only two lanes, stay in the right lane unless passing. Even then, you will see a car behind, or in front of you, straddling the middle line dividing the lanes. I personally don't get it, but it's very common.

City/Town Inner City Streets: When driving in the towns in Italy, one needs to be aware of Limited Traffic Zones, or Zona Traffico Limitato in Italian, abbreviated to ZTL. Many historical centers of Italian cities have set up these limited traffic zones in order to reduce congestion and pollution, and there are significant fines for driving into one of these unauthorized zones. This website has pics of the signs and more information on the limitations: /www.italybeyondtheobvious.com/dont-mess-with-ztl-zones

Tickets for Speeding/Parking: Be aware of speed traps/monitors on the autostrada and within the towns. If you have a GPS, sometimes it will alert you to upcoming speed monitors. There may also be signs on the autostrada warning of speed monitors. You will not be stopped for speeding but you will get a ticket back in the States. And, yes, if others are speeding along side of you, all of you will be ticketed. Just because they are driving over the speed limit doesn't mean a "free for all".

Driving in Rome/Pompeii/Amalfi Coast: For our visit to Rome, a car would have been a hindrance. Instead, we parked the car, for free, at the train station in Orvieto and took the train to Rome. For our visit to Pompeii, we did drive into town, stayed overnight in a local town and found parking at a campground. Be aware that this is a very crowded town and there is a reason why every car has dents/scratches. I have only heard about driving the Amalfi Coast. Not sure if those narrow, winding roads would be for me.

Travel Insurance: My trip insurance includes my rental vehicle. Upon further investigation into what is and is not covered with my credit card, I decided that I needed extra insurance that would cover "loss of use", exterior mirrors, tires, the under carriage, etc. On my last rental car, we confirmed that there is no spare tire in the trunk--only a can of air.

I'm sure you are aware that for Venice you will have to park in the parking structure which is quite expensive. Also, many Cinque Terre towns do not have parking. Do your research ahead of time.

Enjoy your trip. I love the freedom of driving and you will too.

Nicole,

One other point to consider is that each driver listed on the rental form will need the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are available at any AAA office for a small charge and are valid for one year. You may never be asked for it, but if you are and can't produce one, fines on the spot are likely.

Be very careful to avoid the ZTL (limited traffic) areas, as hefty fines will follow if you pass through any of these (Florence is just about saturated with automated ZTL cameras)!

Good advice above.

Don't worry driving in Italy is fun, easy, and the best way to see the country.

GPS is recommended if you are driving in the cities, otherwise it is not needed. Half the fun is getting lost. Do have a map though.

You will likely see lots of bicycles on the roads.

As mentioned, stay right on the autostradas except to pass. This is important.

Have fun

It totally depends on you. We've rented a car twice over five trips to Italy and we absolutely hated driving there. Some of the things I hated most: sluggish GPS response as we approach and enter a traffic circle, temperamental toll machines, speed trap cameras on minor roads, the dreaded ZTL, worries about car prowlers, looking for parking, and the list goes on. But clearly those things don't faze some people. Give me a train ride where I don't have to worry about getting lost, where I can look out the window or allow myself to nod off, where I can have a conversation with a fellow traveler I just met. You get the idea.

We found that our personal travel style works much better when we rely on public transit (esp. trains). We prefer to deeply explore particular cities and towns rather than try to see lots of different places via day trips. That said, I know that there is a trip to Puglia in our future and from everything I've read, you really don't want to rely on the trains there. So who knows? But for now, no, thank you.